XFX nForce 630i Socket 775 mATX Motherboard

Conclusion

So how well did the XFX nForce 630i mATX motherboard perform in todays review?

The first thing that we need to take into account when assessing the board is that it is targeted firmly towards the HTPC owner instead of the performance enthusiast. The ability to configure this motherboard as a dedicated HTPC work horse is very apparent, and it is certainly capable of providing many hours of enjoyment within that capacity. The motherboard is very solidly constructed, although it would have been nice to have seen the inclusion of solid capacitors instead of the prolific electrolytic variety. I say this purely from a viewpoint of longevity.

Overclocking on the motherboard is a little hit and miss, but allows for a little extra performance regardless. Better chipset cooling and perhaps a BIOS revision would perhaps facilitate better results. Recovery from a bad overclock was so painless, that it warrants a mention too. It is certainly testament to the motherboards build quality.

Pricing for the XFX nForce 630i is well positioned and the bundle that comes with it is quite acceptable. Komplett.co.uk have the XFX nForce 630i mATX motherboard available from £54.00 inc 17.5% VAT. So if you are in the market for a cheap HTPC motherboard with plenty of connectivity options, then you could do well to have a look at the XFX nForce 630i.

The Good

• Price

• Quality

• Good connectivity for a budget based board

• BIOS is easily navigated

The Mediocre

• Single Channel memory

• Hot chipset

• Overclocking

The Bad

• Nothing to report

Overclock3D would like to thank XFX for supplying todays review sample.

Most Recent Comments

any chance of seeing how it performs rendering 1080p HD video (ie percentage of cpu power used) as im in a process of looking for htpc (to go with my 40" 1080p sammy yummy!) mobo and would love to know hows the hd playback on this one.

"During the overclocking phase of this review it is interesting to note that the chipset heatsink was frightfully hot to the touch, and more than likely detrimental to the overall performance of the motherboard. "

when nVidia went from having separate nb & sb on 6xxx IGP to an all in one on 7xxx I'm sure that it became cheaper for them to produce (& hence probably more profitable for them) but it definitely resulted in increased chipset temps.

I've got abit's I-N73HD based on the same chipset here to play with once I acquire a spare CPU.

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